US Citizen -> UK Grad entry Med -> work/live in UK?

[stankball]

Hello all, I'm a US citizen with reasonably competitive stats, and I ultimately would like to live and work in the UK (in fact, I would move there now if I could). Is it plausible for me to be accepted at a UK medical school, do my foundation years, and then continue onto specialty training programs in the UK?

If I'm reading this page correctly, it seems that the restrictions of a few years past have been replaced with new rules that place non-EU UK grads on the same level (in the sense that they're able to apply to 1st and 2nd rounds of specialty training recruitment) as EU UK grads. Could anyone correct me and/or elaborate?

http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/explor.../education-and-training-routes-(tier-1-to-5)/

Thanks a bunch!

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[Medstart108]

You are right. If you do med school in the UK you could do your foundation years and speciality training in the UK as well without any sort of discrimination in the application process.

 

[vanfanal]

Yes you can. FYI, speciality training in the UK is much longer.

 

[Medstart108]

It is much longer, generally pay is lower in the UK for consultant level but for resident vs registrar the brits are higher especially if you consent to working unsociable hours. The flip side is you generally have much more free time as a UK resident due to EU working time limitations although the brits will try to get around that but you still won't be working as much as in the US.

 

[bambi]

Although I think in theory now a foreign student with UK med schooling should be ok to get through training here, in reality I know a lot of people that have had visa issues and have basically been forced to go back home.

 

[Medstart108]

Although I think in theory now a foreign student with UK med schooling should be ok to get through training here, in reality I know a lot of people that have had visa issues and have basically been forced to go back home.

Where were they from, and what circumstances did they have. I know plenty of Canadians at least who have been able to stay, I've never heard of anyone not getting a spot in the foundation programme. I also know that so far they manage to place all uk medical grads into foundation programmes. http://www.hospitaldr.co.uk/blogs/o...uates-may-no-longer-be-guaranteed-doctor-jobs Now for speciality training it is much more competitive, but that I don't believe is to due with visa issues, rather the pure competitiveness of the application process.

 

[bambi]

Where were they from, and what circumstances did they have. I know plenty of Canadians at least who have been able to stay, I've never heard of anyone not getting a spot in the foundation programme. I also know that so far they manage to place all uk medical grads into foundation programmes. http://www.hospitaldr.co.uk/blogs/o...uates-may-no-longer-be-guaranteed-doctor-jobs Now for speciality training it is much more competitive, but that I don't believe is to due with visa issues, rather the pure competitiveness of the application process.

Various countries. They got foundation posts fine but there were issues with posts beyond this. They got the jobs fine initially, then there were issues about visas/eligibility due to nationality. They weren't competitive specialties either.

 

[Medstart108]

Various countries. They got foundation posts fine but there were issues with posts beyond this. They got the jobs fine initially, then there were issues about visas/eligibility due to nationality. They weren't competitive specialties either.

Was it a problem with getting a Tier 2 Visa? Were they able to get it sorted out eventually or were some of them left jobless and/or forced to leave because of this?

 

[bambi]

I honestly don't know the visa type. I think they didn't bother to fight it and just went home mostly, another is currently still trying to sort it and his job is CMT so not exactly competitive.

 

[Medstart108]

I honestly don't know the visa type. I think they didn't bother to fight it and just went home mostly, another is currently still trying to sort it and his job is CMT so not exactly competitive.

I'm wondering were they from the countries like Iran or mostly 1st world? I know people who have had issues with getting a study visas just to study here but they were from the middle east.

I would love to know more about this just because there doesn't seem to be that many people at that stage and i've never read or heard anything about trouble with visas, but if there is serious issues that changes things for sure. International spots in medicine are really competitive and I would presume that people are able to stay in the UK as many international students I know have plans to specialize here.

 

[bambi]

1st world countries. So the latest one has had to threaten to sue and now it seems to be sorted.

 

[camino]

Although I think in theory now a foreign student with UK med schooling should be ok to get through training here, in reality I know a lot of people that have had visa issues and have basically been forced to go back home.

Sorry to necro this old thread. Just wondering if you have any updates on this situation. I've done some research and so far it has supported what medstart says all over these forums and the general theory you mention above about non-UK non EU students being allowed on paper to get through foundation and speciality training. (See the attached pdf, page 19 for example re: rules about applying for speciality training)....

I'm having a hell of a time deciding on Ireland vs England.

Additionally, does anyone know what is involved in applying for "Tier 2 sponsorship"?

 

[bambi]

Sorry to necro this old thread. Just wondering if you have any updates on this situation. I've done some research and so far it has supported what medstart says all over these forums and the general theory you mention above about non-UK non EU students being allowed on paper to get through foundation and speciality training. (See the attached pdf, page 19 for example re: rules about applying for speciality training)....

I'm having a hell of a time deciding on Ireland vs England.

Additionally, does anyone know what is involved in applying for "Tier 2 sponsorship"?

I don't know what medstart says but he/she is a student so may have read the rules but will have limited knowledge of what really happens. That's not an insult, it's just the way it is as a student. If you go to a UK medical school you will have just as good a chance as a UK resident in terms of foundation training. Beyond that it is definitely more difficult, how difficult depends on specialty. Also, in many specialties after core training there is a further application stage, core might be fine, but registrar years might not be. By the time you get to that stage it could be totally different to how it is now anyway.

 

[camino]

I don't know what medstart says but he/she is a student so may have read the rules but will have limited knowledge of what really happens. That's not an insult, it's just the way it is as a student. If you go to a UK medical school you will have just as good a chance as a UK resident in terms of foundation training. Beyond that it is definitely more difficult, how difficult depends on specialty. Also, in many specialties after core training there is a further application stage, core might be fine, but registrar years might not be. By the time you get to that stage it could be totally different to how it is now anyway.

Thank you for your reply!